Member of Parliament for the Cities of London & Westminster, Nickie Aiken, led the Conservative Group in its response to the debate on preventing sexual violence in conflict at the Council of Europe, the European continent's leading human rights organisation.
Speaking out in the debate, Nickie said,
"I would like to thank the rapporteur for her very powerful report, and I am very proud that the United Kingdom has been at the vanguard of efforts to combat conflict-related sexual violence for the past decade, since our former Foreign Secretary, Lord Hague, launched the Prevention of Sexual Violence and Conflict Initiative in 2012.
"Yet since then, people's perceptions and awareness of the horrors of warfare have been exacerbated. Enabled by the proliferation of social media, we now see the painful realities of conflict in real-time, not only the brutality on the battlefield but also the devastation invading armies inflict on countries and their civilians.
"When we think of conflict and of conflict-related sexual violence, this past year has been and continues to be a dark one for Europe. As ever, our thoughts turn to you, our valiant Ukrainian friends who ask for nothing except to live in peace and freedom.
"The current situation in Ukraine, as well as events in too many countries, including Afghanistan and Ethiopia, make clear that this issue is very much alive.
"This being said, I am very proud of the work that the United Kingdom has done and highlighted at the International PSVI conference held in Westminster last year. Here, a decade after the launch of the PSVI Initiative, the UK announced a three-year strategy to tackle conflict-related sexual violence.
"I am heartened to see a new partnership between the UK Government and the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, which brings a new Accountability Commission and the Taskforce for Survivors, developed by the UK to increase successful prosecutions. This will be practical support in establishing rapid response mechanisms in crises, mentoring prosecutors, and advancing support for the UN to strengthen national justice systems.
"All of this work is rightly evidence-led. The UK’s strategy has been meticulously developed by experts, academics, and NGOs to tackle all forms of preventing sexual violence in conflict.
"By building on these advances to improve the documentation and analysis of these crimes, policymakers can more effectively deter, and intervene against, and prosecute such violence.
"I absolutely believe we have a duty, all of us, to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice and victims receive clear support. However, we can have as many of these policies in place as we like, but they must be enforceable and the people responsible for these heinous crimes must be held to account."
